Basic Guide To Flux Cored Arc MIG Welding

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com/id/Basic-Guide-to-Flux-Cored-Arc-MIG-Welding/
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Basic Guide to Flux Cored Arc Welding
by SLOMakerSpace on October 8, 2014
Table of Contents
Basic Guide to Flux Cored Arc Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Intro: Basic Guide to Flux Cored Arc Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Step 1: Gather Necessary Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Step 2: Clean Your Metal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Step 3: Cut Your Metal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Step 4: Set Up Your Work Piece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Step 5: Turn on Welder and Adjust Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Step 6: Tack-Weld the Work Piece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Step 7: Fill in the remaining areas with 'Bead' Welds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Step 8: Clean up your piece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Step 9: Clean up the area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Step 10: Profit! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
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http://www.instructables.com/id/Basic-Guide-to-Flux-Cored-Arc-MIG-Welding/
Author:SLOMakerSpace SLO MakerSpace, Inc.
SLO MakerSpace offers tools, training, and consultation services that enable community members to experiment with and master a wide variety of Maker
skills. We are dedicated to the following values: Community We foster the development of a community of diverse people, at low cost, in a positive
environment; Collaboration/Education The sharing of knowledge and ideas is critical for personal and professional growth; Entrepreneurship We support
the growth of new businesses through skill-building classes and consulting services
Intro: Basic Guide to Flux Cored Arc Welding
Hello and welcome to the SLO Makerspace guide to Flux Cored Arc Welding! This Instructable is intended to teach you how to use the Lincoln Weld Pak HD flux cored
arc welder. This machine is one of the most basic welders available on the market today and is known for being both user-friendly and cost efficient. Although there are
several limitations as to what you can get away with welding on this machine, it is a great welder for beginners and is perfect for doing non-structural, ornamental
welding.
Here are some Weld Pack HD product specifications provided by Lincoln Electric:
Welds mild steel with a gasless, flux core wire electrode
Welds up to 1/8 in. mild steel
Plugs into household 115V, 20 amp outlet
35-88 amps output
Cold contactor safety feature keeps welding wire electrically cold until the gun trigger is pressed
For more information in regards to this particular welder, please read the operator's manual: HERE
The first and most important thing to consider while using this machine is... you guessed it, SAFETY! Not only is the electricity required for arc welding extremely hot, but
it also generates dangerous UV light that can easily damage your eyes if you look directly at it. This is why you should always use the proper Personal Protection
Equipment (PPE) while working on your welding project. This includes, but is not limited to: safety glasses, leather welding jacket, welding gloves, and of course, the
welding mask (also known as a welding hood). It also really helps if you have long pants and close-toed shoes. Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) is known to generate
lots of sparks that can easily burn any unprotected areas of your body, so cover up! These sparks can also easily start a fire so any flammable materials should be kept
at a reasonable distance from the welding area.
That being said, welding can be a fun and exciting way to make things out of metal and after a bit of practice, there is endless potential to make some really cool stuff, so
lets get started!
Step 1:Gather Necessary Equipment
Before you start welding you will need to make sure you have all the tools required for the project at hand. The following list should contain everything you will need over
the course of your welding project:
Safety Glasses
Welding Mask
Gloves
Leather Jacket
Ear Protection
Pliers
Chipping Hammer
Wire Brush
Grinder with cutting/grinding/wire wheels
Clamps
Magnets
Tape Measure/Metal Ruler
Fume Extractor
and if course, the Welder!
Image Notes
1. Welding Hood
2. Leathers
3. Gloves
4. Angle Grinder
5. Welder!
6. Spring Clamp
7. C-Clamp
8. Fume Extractor
Image Notes
1. Angle Grinder
2. Wire Brush
3. Chipping Hammer
4. Pliers
5. magnets
6. Measuring Devices
Step 2:Clean Your Metal
Although FCAW is known for being a process that can get away with welding dirty metal, it is still important to clean the area of the metal you plan on welding. This is
generally done with some sort of wire brush, grinder, or even better, a grinder with a wire wheel. Removing contaminates such as rust or paint will drastically increase the
quality of your welds, so taking the time to clean up your project before you start welding is always a good idea.
Prior to taking the grinder to your work-piece, you should always take steps to make sure the metal you plan on grinding is secure. This generally done with clamps,
preferably not spring clamps as they don't always exert the necessary force required to keep the metal in place while grinding on it. Personally, I like to use either the
table vice or a C-clamp, as they allow you to control the amount of pressure being applied to the work-piece.
Once the metal is secure, you are free to grind away until you have removed the majority of whatever it is that is getting in the way of the bare metal that is necessary for
a good weld.
*Reminder: While grinding, be sure to direct any sparks in a safe direction (i.e. not towards a person or a flammable object)
Image Notes
1. Rusty metal can be a welder's worst enemy..
Image Notes
1. Just a couple passes with the wire wheel and this section of the sheet metal will
be good as new!
Image Notes
1. This metal is now much more weldable.
Step 3:Cut Your Metal
In addition to welding metal that has been sufficiently cleaned, you should also make sure your metal has been cut to the appropriate length. Correctly cutting your metal
can be equally if not more difficult than the actual welding, depending on what you are working with.
An accurate cut starts with accurate an accurate scribe, or mark, on the work-piece. This is generally done with a soap stone or sharpie, and a ruler with a straight edge.
For this demonstration I've chosen to keep it fairly simple and make a 2" x 2" x 2" container out of sheet metal. Therefore, I will need 5 2" x 2" squares in order to
complete my project. I first scribe a line 2 inches away from the edge of my sheet metal, going all the way across it. Then, I scribe a series of vertical lines going from the
edge of the sheet metal to my first scribed line until I have 5 squares drawn in sharpie on my work-piece. Now I am ready to cut!
When cutting extended lengths of sheet metal it is a good idea to use some sort of guide to ensure a straight cut. I decided to use a long piece of square bar stock to help
me maintain my first, and most important cut. After that I just did my best to follow my scribe lines and thankfully they turned out alright. For each cut you should clamp
the work-piece down so that it doesn't go anywhere once you begin cutting.
Image Notes
1. Clamping square bar stock to the work-piece makes it much easier to cut in a
Image Notes
1. Made a small mistake here, but it was nothing that another line couldn't fix!
2. Each square is approx. 2 in. x 2 in.
3. Using a ruler with a straight edge and 90 degree attachment is essential for
making accurate scribes.
straight line.
Image Notes
1. Remember to be mindful of where the sparks are going while grinding!
Image Notes
1. Here are my five 2 in. x 2 in. squares ready to get deburred (cleaning edges
where cutting took place). Almost ready to weld!
Step 4:Set Up Your Work Piece
Once you have cleaned your metal and cut it to the appropriate dimensions, it is time to get your work-piece set up so that you can easily tack-weld it together without
having to fight with it too much. For mass production work, this is where you would typically devise some sort of jig that would allow you easily to set your pieces into
place without having to think about it. For this project, I'm just going to use a magnet with a 90 degree angle in order to make sure my square container doesn't turn into a
trapezoid container.
Making sure that the pieces you plan on welding together are secured in the exact position you plan on welding them is extremely important. Welding loose materials can
lead to countless mistakes and can add unwanted extra work to your project, so make sure to double and triple check your work-piece before you lay down your first tack
weld. After you've lined everything up accurately, it is time to start welding!
Image Notes
1. Using this magnet helps ensure all your angles are at 90 degrees.
Image Notes
1. Make sure all your pieces line up correctly and that your edges are not uneven.
Step 5:Turn on Welder and Adjust Settings
Of course, adjusting the welder to the appropriate settings is another essential part of this project. Since the sheet metal for our container is a fairly thin gauge (approx.
1/16"), I will be welding on the LOW 1 setting with the wire speed set to 7. As the metal you are welding increases in thickness, you will want to increase the voltage and
wire speed as you see fit. It is always good to do a couple test welds on some scrap metal to make sure your settings are right where they need to be before you actually
start on your project.
If you are unsure about what settings you should use for your own project, refer to the "suggested settings" section of the welding parameter image that has been
provided.
For additional tips, the last four sections of that same image give some valuable information on proper technique while welding.
Image Notes
1. Wire Speed Control
2. Power ON/OFF switch
3. Low / High Heat Range Switch
4. 1 2 Fine Heat Adjustment Switch
Step 6:Tack-Weld the Work Piece
After you've got everything lined up correctly and set your welder to the appropriate settings, tack-weld each corner of your work piece together. When tack welding, it is
important to make sure that you are actually fusing both sides of the metal together. When you pull the trigger on the torch, pay attention to where you are depositing the
weld metal and that you are hitting the work-piece exactly where one piece comes in contact with another. Welding one side more than the other will lead to a lack of
fusion which can result in the two pieces of metal not joining together properly. Remember to clean up the area you just welded with the wire brush to remove any slag
generated from the tack weld.
Ideally, once you have tacked each corner together, the box will have taken shape and you will be able to see if each side is aligned and welded into the right position. If
not, now is the time to fix your mistakes, as they will be much harder to correct after you finish welding!
Image Notes
1. You should only have to hold the trigger down for a couple seconds (3 max). If
you weld for too long in the same place you run the risk of burning a hole through
the metal.
Image Notes
1. After you get the first corner tacked, the rest of the squares should fall into
place with ease. Just make sure each side lines up!
Image Notes
1. approx 3/8" stickout
Step 7:Fill in the remaining areas with 'Bead' Welds
Assuming that you tacked everything together correctly, you can now go back and fill in the remaining seams with bead welds. This is where you will really get to hone in
your welding skills, so pay close attention to how your torch angle, travel speed, and electrical stickout affect the appearance of your welds.
The most important thing to consider while performing these welds is maintaining consistency in the above categories. In other words, once you've figured out the proper
torch angle, don't change it mid-weld. Your travel speed should be fairly fast, and you don't want to speed up or slow down mid weld, but maintain a constant pace.
Lastly, your electrical stickout should never be more than 1/2" or less than 1/4", so keeping it at around 3/8" will be your best bet.
Mastering the consistency of your welding technique is the key to being able to weld proficiently, and it's going to take some practice before your welds come out looking
perfect. Keep this in mind if they don't look great on your first try, just be patient remind yourself that practice makes perfect!
Image Notes
1. While welding, remember to pay attention to how the weld metal is being
deposited and be ready to adjust the torch accordingly.
Image Notes
1. Assess your first bead weld, if it looks good, keep going. If not, try and figure
out what you were doing wrong.
Image Notes
1. Done welding, not bad!
Step 8:Clean up your piece
After you've welded everything together, there is going to be a bunch of spatter and slag left over from the flux. Now is the time to use the chipping hammer and wire
brush to remove as much of this as possible before we start grinding.
Once you've removed as much as you can by hand, grab your pair of locking pliers and clamp it to one of the outside edges of the container. Carefully use the bench
grinder to grind down your welds until you've basically removed the outer layers of your weld and the corners are flush with the sides. While grinding, make sure you keep
the work-piece safely rested on the guard. You will probably have to re-clamp your locking pliers once or twice in order to effectively grind each corner. If you welded the
edges correctly, each corner should look like a seamless transition on each side and should be free of any holes or cracks. If not, you may need to go back and re-weld
the areas with defects and repeat the cleaning/grinding process until you reach the desired results.
At this point you are basically done with your container! If you still aren't satisfied with how it looks you are welcome to add your own modifications like a lid, or maybe
some paint. Great job!
Image Notes
1. Excess Slag and spatter can be removed with a chipping hammer and wire
brush.
Image Notes
1. Post wire-brushing. Looks good!
Image Notes
1. Remember to keep the work-piece resting on the guard of the bench press to
help you maintain control while you grind.
Image Notes
1. All done! Now what do I do with it?
Step 9:Clean up the area
Pretty self-explanatory.. Clean up the area you were working at and put all the tools back where you found them.
Thank you!
Image Notes
1. Don't forget to sweep!
Step 10:Profit!
Once you're comfortable welding, try to get creative and make something awesome like this robot!
Image Notes
1. Thanks for the read, see you next time and happy welding!
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Comments
16 comments Add Comment
Greg1101 says: Oct 26, 2014. 11:54 AM REPLY
Thank you for this.
Very good presentaion.
mikecz says: Oct 26, 2014. 11:34 AM REPLY
BEWARE!!! Just last week they put a heart pacemaker in me. (So far, so good with the pacemaker.) But, AFTER they put it in they tell me:
No arc welding ! (Don't even get close!)
Don't stand/lean over a running engine!
Don't play with commercial or even ham radio transmitters!
Don't stand near radar units! (Guys are putting them on pretty small boats now.)
Hold your cell phone in right hand (pacemaker in upper left chest).
I guess I really needed the pacemaker, but still, I wish they would have told me all these problems with the things BEFORE they put it in me!
emachine56 says: Oct 26, 2014. 9:02 AM REPLY
Nice instructable for beginning wire welders. I think "aheibi" may be referring to E6010 (DC only) or E6011 (AC) stick electrodes. While designed for a deep,
penetrating weld for tight fit-ups and for dirty conditions like corrosion, paint, dirt, oil in situations where proper prep may not be possible. I'm no pro but I
have used both with similar results. Many consumers have an AC or AC/DC box like the Lincoln AC125 or AC 225/125 both will cut with the E601* sticks
when duty cycles are observed. I know of 2 electrodes available overseas, the HILCO Cutil 4KG both designed specifically for this task...I'm sure there are
many more. Great job though, keep it up!
SparkySolar says: Oct 24, 2014. 7:38 PM REPLY
Thank you for your nice instructable.
Rima
aheibi says: Oct 23, 2014. 1:51 PM REPLY
Wow, this awesome for begginers.
Why didn't you used cutting electrodes instead of the grinder?
SLOMakerSpace says: Oct 24, 2014. 11:27 AM REPLY
What do you mean by "cutting electrodes"? If you are talking about carbon arc gouging, we are presently not capable of that at this shop. Also wanted to
use something that was easily accessible.
aheibi says: Oct 24, 2014. 12:38 PM REPLY
Not torch(plasma) cutting. The electrodes can cut/melt metal. My freind use them to disassembly buildings, instead of using the torch cutter - the gas is
very expensive in my country.
My freind using Zika's electrodes(http://www.zika-welding.com/product/z-72/). But I guess you can find more companies in the US.
SLOMakerSpace says: Oct 24, 2014. 1:46 PM REPLY
Oh alright. Here in the states I believe we call this type of cutting "carbon arc gouging". It is great for cutting very thick or hard to reach areas,
however the cut is usually very dirty and uneven, therefor it is inappropriate for this application. It would be nice to have access to one here at our
shop, though.
kakashibatosi says: Oct 24, 2014. 1:44 PM REPLY
I thought it was humorous that all of the welding turned into a cheerful robot at the end. I was expecting it to be just a metal box. Nice job.
Phil B says: Oct 23, 2014. 10:18 AM REPLY
I appreciate this. A number of people I know would benefit from having and using a welder, but hold back for various reasons.
Some of the pictures have not loaded. If your picture files were a megabyte or so, could you repost them at 100 to 200 killabytes?
MIG means metal inert gas and implies a shielding gas covers the weld until it cools. Flux core has a chemical composition powder in the center of the
welding wire, and it cover the weld to protect it from exposure to air before it cools. Technically, your welder is not a MIG welder, but a Flux core welder.
SLOMakerSpace says: Oct 24, 2014. 11:28 AM REPLY
Fixed the title in response to this comment. Thank you!
seamster says: Oct 23, 2014. 11:04 AM REPLY
The photos should be loading correctly now. (It was an problem on the site.)
PurplePeople says: Oct 23, 2014. 12:10 PM REPLY
Phil B is right... unless your setup has a pressurized tank with a shield gas (such as argon or a mixture of argon/CO2), you really should remove the
term "MIG" from your tutorial.
Phil B says: Oct 23, 2014. 12:05 PM REPLY
Thanks.
donttrustthepig says: Oct 23, 2014. 2:54 PM REPLY
If you want really clean welds, wipe the metal down with a degreaser before welding.
seamster says: Oct 23, 2014. 9:26 AM REPLY
This is an excellent tutorial on welding. Thank you.

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